The Union Health Ministry has advised the Maharashtra government due to the increasing Zika virus cases in the state. The Centre has instructed the state to thoroughly screen pregnant women for the Zika virus and monitor the fetal growth of those who test positive.
Two of the seven patients in Pune are pregnant women. The state government has also been directed to instruct health facilities and hospitals to appoint a nodal officer responsible for ensuring the premises are free of Aedes mosquitoes, the known carriers of the Zika virus.
The Health Ministry also urged states to strengthen entomological surveillance and intensify vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions, and health facilities. These directions came after Pune reported its seventh case on Tuesday.
A 55-year-old woman from Dahanukar Colony in Kothrud is the latest to contract the virus, health officials said. She underwent a medical examination after developing rashes and joint pains. Her test results came back positive for the Zika virus on Monday, according to an official from the Pune Municipal Corporation.
The woman is reported to be healthy and did not require hospitalization, he said. The city had reported six cases of the infection on Monday, with two of the patients being pregnant women, aged 28 and 35. The Zika virus in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a condition where the baby’s head is significantly smaller due to abnormal brain development.
The first case of the Zika virus in Pune was reported in Erandwane, where a 46-year-old doctor tested positive. His 15-year-old daughter also contracted the infection, officials said. The Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya. The Pune Municipal Corporation’s health department is conducting surveillance and has undertaken fogging and fumigation to curb mosquito breeding as a precautionary measure, they added.